BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Beckley – American Legion Veterans Parade has been postponed due to potentially disagreeable weather conditions as confirmed Thursday afternoon.
A Wednesday release from ‘Beckley Events’ indicated intentions for the Veterans Parade Committee to make a decision at noon Thursday regarding whether the Veterans Parade would continue as planned or be cancelled due to weather conditions.
A subsequent release the following day confirmed that the Beckley – American Legion Veterans Parade will not go ahead as planned but will also not be cancelled as previously anticipated.
Unpredictability of weather conditions in the area in the wake of tropical storm Nicole has resulted in the postponing of the event, which is said to now be coinciding with the Christmas Parade set to take place in Beckley on December 3rd at 11:00am.
Apologizing for the inconvenience, the parade committee indicated that any military vehicles or other parade entries who would still like to display their planned entries on the originally scheduled day of the parade will still be welcome to do so in the Word Park parking lot from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
Several of the entries planned for the parade, including the marching bands set to perform, expressed that they would be unable to participate as a result of the potential weather conditions. This played a factor in the decision to postpone the event, and the parades have been combined given that an alternative postponement date was unavailable.
It has also been stated that entries can be saved to ride in the combined Veterans and Christmas Parade.
The free Veterans Day luncheon planned by the parade committee and American Legion at the WVU Tech Administration Building located at 410 Neville Street will still be held as scheduled, according to the release.
100 box lunches are being prepared by the WVU Tech Culinary School for veterans, as well as their spouses or caregivers.
Music, along with a number of veteran-themed booths will be set up on site at the luncheon event.
The American Legion will also honor the Parade Grand Marshall Eddie Cochran at the event, for which attendance is encouraged for all veterans.
“The committee hopes combining the parades will result in a wonderful duo parade on December 3,” read the release. “Please plan to join us!”
Additional LOOTPRESS Veterans Day coverage can be found here.